What's the most unexpectedly useful item you've ever bought under $20?
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Oh man, there's this German company Beurer that makes simple equipment for medical home application. They make this sort of zapper thing, which is battery oper and it just heats the shit out of a little ceramic plate. Put that on a bug bite, it heats away the irritation. No more itch, no more venom in your body, just gone.
I am no longer careful around biting bugs. Keep in mind it's not supposed to work for stingers.
I figured for 15 euros it'd be too bad if it doesn't work but I now can't imagine not having it.
I've since also bought a TENS/EMS machine of theirs and a laser hair removal tool is underway for my wife.
I completely trust this company based on just two products.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Oh wow, there's a product out there? I've been heating the back of a spoon on the stove and applying it directly to the skin for a minute all these years. You gotta do it carefully, but it works very well!
::: spoiler Nerdage
The mechanism relies on denaturing the mosquito proteins injected with the bite. Meaning the heat causes the proteins to loosen up and deform so they no longer interact with the surrounding tissues in the same way.
::: -
Metal Chopsticks $9 https://www.amazon.com/BamLue-Stainless-Chopsticks-Dishwasher-Restaurant/dp/B07RTNWLM1
These are no longer for sale.
They are not just for eating. Great for deseeding jalapenos, tomatos. Mixing small sauces. Too many uses to list. They are super durable. Very 'buy it for life' vibes. The tip texture is the most helpful.
Not to be used as Ninja weapons.Chopsticks are also nice to mix fluids in a bottle because for some they are long enough
I also started eating potato chips with them, can reach deeper in + clean hands -
Apparently there's a collector's club for these, but none of them displayed in photos were the twisted kind, so I didn't link there.
Not a plastic swizzle stick, a bar spoon. They are stainless steel and have various ends. This is the teardrop, makes stirring ice easier. There's also a coin (flat disc on the end that op was talking about), that is used for muddling and can also be used to stir ice, and the trident used to get garnishes out of jars like cherries and olives. Source: I am a bartender
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Even though I don't regularly use it, I'm glad I have a p38 can opener on my keychain. Just in case I end up in a survival situation, it's good to have alongside a good keychain bottle opener. Obviously not as good as a leatherman, but for under $20, yeah, these two are worth it.
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I think it's home cook weird shit, now sell me something to get rid of fried food smell from clothes. I'll live with garlic and onions which smell amazing over fried oil smell that saturate you skin and leave you as a soggy French fry
wrote on last edited by [email protected] -
Even though I don't regularly use it, I'm glad I have a p38 can opener on my keychain. Just in case I end up in a survival situation, it's good to have alongside a good keychain bottle opener. Obviously not as good as a leatherman, but for under $20, yeah, these two are worth it.
Now you need to find a can in a survival situation.
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I always have metal chopsticks on me.
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I dont understand how people eat with metal or plastic chopsticks. Wood? Sure, it practically holds itself
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A good, insulated cup. I make ice coffee every morning and a good cup doesn't get condensation and keeps the coffee cold for hours (I drink slowly while I work)
got any recommedations?
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Not a plastic swizzle stick, a bar spoon. They are stainless steel and have various ends. This is the teardrop, makes stirring ice easier. There's also a coin (flat disc on the end that op was talking about), that is used for muddling and can also be used to stir ice, and the trident used to get garnishes out of jars like cherries and olives. Source: I am a bartender
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Ah, I'm no bartender but every cocktail kit I've had has referred to them interchangeably. I was thinking of the spoon style but ironically ran out of metaphorical spoons while trying to find a good example. Thanks.
edit: Added missing words.
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One way window heat shield. Reflects 85‰ of the UV back out. Sticks to the window using only water.
Noticeable difference in temperature for any sun-facing windows
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An extention cord thingy.
I got it in some cheap chinese goods place so i thik it was like 15€.
It was an impulsive purchase (i am the type to get tools impulsivly)
But for a long time it was a useless dust catcher.
After i moved there finally where oppertunities for it.
So at that point it got unexpectedly useful.For summer i reccommend buying a hand fan + a spray bottle (spray water on skin & use fan, its really nice)
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- knife sharpening steel
- squeezing bidet (made me realize how gross using toilet paper is)
- caffeine pills (extremely cheap [15€ for 180pcs. x 200mg] compared to coffee and great if you're in a hurry)
- Raspberry Pi Zero (tiny single board computer, tbh not in use anymore, but I had fun tinkering for days)
- remote controlled power outlets
- easily cleanable drinking bottle and switching to drinking tap water
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A mini pen I keep on my lanyard.
Cost me like $2.50, I thought it was too expensive for what I was getting but it works. Now when those bitches lose the pens, I can still write instead of dancing a pat-everything-pat-myself-look-for-pen-everywhere
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One way window heat shield. Reflects 85‰ of the UV back out. Sticks to the window using only water.
Noticeable difference in temperature for any sun-facing windows
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Somewhere i worked had that. (Edit: but more for privacy)
It was so funny seeing passerbys using it as a mirror.
Absolutly funny 10/10 -
Not sure what you mean by this. Are you just trying to gage some reason because it's a German company? They made heating pads, heated blankets, stuff like that.
I think they're referring to Bayer, which was absolutely active during that time...
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Oh wow, there's a product out there? I've been heating the back of a spoon on the stove and applying it directly to the skin for a minute all these years. You gotta do it carefully, but it works very well!
::: spoiler Nerdage
The mechanism relies on denaturing the mosquito proteins injected with the bite. Meaning the heat causes the proteins to loosen up and deform so they no longer interact with the surrounding tissues in the same way.
:::I’ve just run a spoon under the hottest possible tap water. It’s hot enough to work and it’s not hot enough to actually burn you
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I knew I wouldn't regret starting to use user notes.
Isn’t everyone a better off Ted fan? Some people just don’t know it yet.
Actually, I just realized that I have only seen Portia de Rossi in two things and they were both fucking killer. Maybe I should watch ally mcbeal…
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Isn’t everyone a better off Ted fan? Some people just don’t know it yet.
Actually, I just realized that I have only seen Portia de Rossi in two things and they were both fucking killer. Maybe I should watch ally mcbeal…
Both excellent points!
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I dont understand how people eat with metal or plastic chopsticks. Wood? Sure, it practically holds itself
Yeah rice is impossible for me with anything but wooden chopsticks
